The fat-fendered, turbocharged six-cylinder rocket sled that is the BMW M2 won't officially launch in Australia until April, but the order book is already filling up at a rate that may see the first year's allocation totally sold out before the car even enters showrooms.

Speaking to TMR at a 2016 BMW brand event, BMW Australia Managing Director Marc Werner said customer inquiries have been flowing in since the M2 was first revealed, and that while Australia's allocation of M2s for 2016 will be "sufficient", demand is close to outstripping supply.

Part of the reason is the strong value equation: at $89,900 for the manual-equipped M2 Pure and $98,900 for the automatic M2, both cars will enter the market as the most affordable full-fledged M cars ever offered in Australia and the most powerful RWD vehicle from a luxury carmaker below the $100k mark

Both the M2 and M2 Pure will produce 272kW of power and 465Nm of torque from a 3.0 litre turbocharged inline six, with the automatic hitting 100km/h in 4.3 seconds and the manual taking 4.5 seconds. All drive gets sent to the rear wheels

"We’re very excited to be able to offer this kind of performance car at such a sharp price point, which is a really compelling offer," Werner said to TMR.

"We have significant pre-orders. We can’t talk absolute numbers here, but for the first year we will be almost completely sold out.

"The moment when we published the initial artwork of the M2, the response from potential customers was overwhelming. Luckily we were able to secure some substantial volume for this year and also for the coming years.

"We’re very confident that this particular car at the below-$100,000 price point will boost the BMW M brand in australia."

BMW won't discuss precisely how many orders have been placed, but company spokesperson Lenore Fletcher said they numbered "in the hundreds".

With BMW's M car sales numbering over 1000 last year the addition of even 200 more cars will give the performance sub-brand a significantly bigger presence in Australia, but the actual number for the initial allocation could be substantially higher.

Beyond boosting the M brand in this country, Werner says the arrival of the M2 will also provide BMW with a golden opportunity for conquest sales.

While the Mercedes-AMG A45 and Audi RS3 are cheaper (and in the case of the A45, slightly faster), the BMW's two-door coupe bodystyle and sportier rear-drive configuration should see it win plenty of favour among enthusiasts.

"There’s a niche that is untapped with this type of car. We will likely see new customers, some of them from different brands and potentially have been driving those kinds of hot hatches before - and customers that have not necessarily have been in a BMW before.

But if you're planning on being one of those customers and you haven't yet laid down a deposit, now's the time to visit a BMW dealer - all signs from the company indicates that this year's entire stock may be very, very close to selling out.

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TMR Comments

Hammer | 29 Jan 2016 21:35

Not surprised this is selling well. It represents great bang for bucks. And it looks great to boot.
Keep them affordable BMW and "they will come".

PAH | 29 Jan 2016 22:15

Yep. I agree. It looks like an affordable RWD performance car. If I can afford a blown Clubbie, I can afford one of these. So BMW; please keep the price competitive.
TMR has a story on the new 4 cyl Porsche Boxter. I'd prefer this BMW M2. It's cheaper and it has a 6 cyl engine with more grunt. The M2 might be a more practical car too if it has more rear seat space and space in the boot. The little bit more economy 4 cyl Boxter vs 6 cyl Boxter would not worry me. If I had to drive 20,000 kms a year, I think I'd prefer the M2 economy to a Clubbie. Service costs might tip things back in favour of the Clubbie.

Heinz PAH | 30 Jan 2016 03:06

Commodore should be compared to BMW 5 series PAH.
I understand your price comparison, but people buy a Commodore, because they want a larger car with 4 doors and not a small Coupe style car!

PAH Heinz | 31 Jan 2016 16:28

Fred. Not necessarily. Some might. Cars on my list would include the M2 the VF SS, the blown XR8, the XR6T Sprint the blown Clubbie and the STI. I don't need the size of the Foulcan or the Commode. I'd prefer the size of the M2 and the STI for the sake of agility but I'd consider the larger cars. They're RWD performance cars and that puts them on my shortlist. And I dare say there are others who have a preference for RWD and who will compromise on car size.

Heinz PAH | 31 Jan 2016 21:39

That is a can of worms...
Then you have to include the upcoming Focus RS, the A45 and some other cars.
I think comparing size of cars is best, as the difference between a 2 Series and a Commodore is half a metre ;)
I mentioned the A45 and RS, as you are mentioning the Subi.
I'm glad that people have different tastes and opinions, otherwise we would all drive the same boxes.

Greg H Heinz | 01 Feb 2016 01:57

Agree - variety is a very good thing...I've got a lot of time for all of the vehicles listed (among others).
You know, I think you're both right...budget plays a really big part in the purchasing process, and having to "make do" with one car to do the lot (a first world problem!) involves a degree of compromise...I'd love a multi-car garage with each car focussed on a specific mood, but reality dictates that I'm a bang-for-buck all-rounder sort of person. So whilst cross-shopping a VF vs RS vs WRX makes sense to me, an M2 not so much (both on practicality and price grounds).
But everyone's needs/wants/budget - and where they're prepared to compromise and to what extent - are very different...the only objective measures TMR can use is vehicle size, and I guess "typical" target market.

Number x | 20 Feb 2016 07:42

Have placed a deposit. Have driven at an extraordinary launch event on an epic racetrack. And like all the rave reviews coming out I confirm one thing: the m2 is one of the most exciting M cars in years. Fun like the 1M but has moved the game on with more power, more use ability and great agility. If you're not in the queue better get in quick. This is the car of 2016.